Sports Writer

CHENNAI: Shane Watson says he is determined to prove his knockers wrong over the next six weeks by defusing any argument that he is not among the country's top six batsmen.

The 31-year-old's injury-driven decision to place the bowling aspect of his game on hold led critics to opine that he does not merit a spot in the Australian XI.

There have even been barely disguised utterances from the Australian team hierarchy suggesting his position is anything but guaranteed if he is not an all-rounder. They quote his Test numbers over the past two years – he has only 528 runs at an average of 26.4 – which no doubt do not make pleasant reading for the vice-captain himself.

Watson's calm exterior suggests an indifference to having his status questioned but as Friday's first Test approaches in India's south, he admits he is bent on ramming home over this four-Test assignment why he should be an automatic selection, all-rounder or not.

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"There has been a lot that's been mentioned over the last six months on whether I warrant a position in the side as a batsman if I'm not bowling," said Watson, who plans to resume bowling in the latter stages of the Indian Premier League in April and May. "I'm playing as a batsman [in India].

"[I want] to be able to prove to the selectors and to the people who at times maybe don't think that I'm one of the top six batsmen in Australia, to prove that I am that, that I can get picked as a batsman. And then my bowling is just a bonus thing to be able to add to the team."

Set to bat at No. 4 in the Australian order – he had wanted to open but selectors will stick with Ed Cowan in Chennai – Watson is also intent on being a louder voice in the team, identifying the sudden dearth of experience after the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey.

The intricacies of India are not foreign to him – indeed, he scored a century, one of only two in his Test career, the last time Australia were here, in 2010 – and aside from the captain has set foot in the country more than anyone in the squad. Watson knows the exits of Ponting and Hussey mean "VC" cannot simply be letters beside his name, particularly here.

"I've played a lot of cricket here over the last 10 years and I've had a lot of success here as well," he said. "We've got quite a young group, so certainly I'm one of the people who's going to help out as much as I can about how to play as good as you can in these conditions, especially with Mike Hussey and Ricky Ponting not being here.

"Michael [Clarke] and myself are the most senior who've played the most cricket here. We've certainly got to try to help the young guys, because it's very different to playing in Australia."

Chief among those is fellow NSW all-rounder Moises Henriques, who earned a seat on the tour because Watson wasn't bowling and has since firmed as a likely choice to make a Test debut against MS Dhoni's team this week. Henriques's ability to produce reverse swing was on full display in a devastating nine-over spell in a practice game in Chennai, in which he claimed 4-12, and would be the asset that gets him over the line ahead of other all-rounder option, Glenn Maxwell.

Watson said he was eager to provide the 24-year-old any assistance he needed.

"I can certainly help him in a number of different ways," he said. "I can see an amazing amount of similarities between how 'Mo' plays the game and how his career has evolved over the last six or seven years as well.

"The way he bowls is quite similar to the way I bowl. His length throughout the first tour games was outstanding. He looked as good as any bowler we had, because he knew the length to bowl.

"If he does get an opportunity, he'll play a big part with the ball in the series. His batting has improved a massive amount and he's had quite a bit of success this summer.

"It's great to see a younger guy coming through who has similar traits to how I play and I'm going to help out in any way I can."